Tag Archives: chicken

Please allow me to introduce you to Magic… Magic, this is the people of the United States, Australia, England, France, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Poland, the Ukraine, etc. Sorry for those followers I didn’t list but I really dont know your all of your names so hopefully this introduction will suffice! This is a honestly one of the quickest week night dinners I have made in quite some time, and I have all the faith in the world that if your a fan of Chicken Cordon Bleu, you will love this majestical little gent!

I have to say that I think aside from dilly-dallying around my kitchen, sipping wine (surprisingly yes wine and not craft beer) it only took me about 35 minutes from skillet to plate! Who in their right mind do not like easy weeknight skillet bakes?! The devil, that’s who!

Ingredients

1 Pkg Cooked Penne

2 Cups Cream

1 Cup Cream Cheese

2 Cups Swiss Cheese; shredded

2 Cups Chicken; cooked + chopped

1 Cup Ham Cold Cuts; Chopped

3/4 Cups Bacon Crumbles

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

1 Cup Pepperidge Farms Stuffing

4 Tbsp Salted Butter

For this recipe as well as any other pasta dishes that include bacon, I use thick sliced bacon. I do this because I feel that it adds to the crispness and well as flavor.

What we need to do is cook the bacon nice and crisp so that we can crumble and add it in due time to our skillet bake!

I tend to cook my bacon using the water method but tomato-tomato, so feel free to cook your bacon however you want!

Personally, I have never over cooked bacon this way and it is always perfectly crispy and beautifully crunchy so until she proves me wrong, I will continue with this controversial cooking method! Pfffft you know I like to live life on the edge every now and then!

[Insert honey badger narrative voice here]

Would you look at that?!

Cook your pasta as directed on the packages instructions for al dente, then add your cream and cream cheese in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat all the while whisking to fully incorporate. Once it is all happy and combined, reduce the heat to medium-low.

Would you look at that! Also note that those are bubbles from whisking, NOT BOILING!

Toss in your Garlic + Onion Powder as well as black pepper… (Okay, now those are bubbles from simmering)

Once again, whisk well to combine!

Toss in 1 1/2 cup of your Swiss Cheese (reserving 1/2 cup for the topping) and you guessed it…. whisk well to combine… See? This is so easy, a monkey could do it!

Continue whisking until fully melted and at this point we want to reduce the heat to low.

Toss in your chicken and ham…

Stir well to fully combine all the magical goodness!

GAAAH MY GAWD THERE IS SO MUCH MAGIC HAPPENING RIGHT NOW THAT MY FEELING CAN NOT TAKE IT!!!!!

Finally drain your pasta and add to your skillet!

Toss well to fully combine and coat your pasta evenly, then remove from heat and set aside.

First order of business though is to crack open a nice and refreshing craft beer. You might need it to extinguish the flames if your anything like me. Honestly, one time I went to Buffalo Wild Wings with my sister and I got their Garlic Parmesan Wings… let me tell you I was burning up! That is the only thing on the menu that is not spicy, but here I am sitting at the table nearly reduced to tears while my sister has the time of her life laughing it up at me.

No big deal.

But with that being said, I am starting to ween my way into the land of fiery sriracha spiciness. Baby steps my friends, baby steps. Mind you this recipe is not as spicy as it sounds when I talk about it. I am not a normal person though, clearly, so the littlest spice is a lot for me.

I love anything with garlic, butter, brown sugar, honey, more garlic, more butter… well you get the point.

Whenever I came across this recipe on [you guessed it] Le Ole’ Pinterest, it was as if I made a deal with the devil. Not only was my chicken so juicy, tender, sweet, and tangy… it was also pumped up with enough butter to make Paula Dean blush and the little fat cherubs in heaven blare their trumpets and rejoice!

Clearly I did not follow the recipe to the “T” because if I did, it would have been a bit healthier… actually a lot healthier… but that’s besides the point! There are two types of people in this world, I tell ya! Those of us who follow the rules… And the rest of us who were born to break every last one…. What can I say, I am a rebel at heart </3

The original recipe came from Damn Delicious and I am not sorry I happened upon this majestical website of delectable little goodies. I think that you should all take some time to click on the link and check them out! I will tell you, they are my new go-to when looking for something new and exciting to try.

A whole chicken slathered with a garlic and fresh herb butter, stuffed full of carrots, celery, and onions, trussed up nice and well, set on top of a bed of fresh baguette bread torn up to serve as an edible roasting rack and whole garlic cloves scattered about the pan.

Pure bliss.

Not only is it a great dinner idea for a chilly fall day here in New England, but it makes for great left overs as well as chicken and wild rice soup later on that week! Just call me resourceful… just kidding, that’s the normal way of life LOL…

But really, the edible roasting rack is pretty genius if you ask me… not only does it elevate your roast, it also serves as a.m.a.z.i.n.g croutons for a side salad when it comes down to plating! Now that is majestic if you ask me…

Ingedients for Herb Crusted Chicken

1 Whole Chicken

1 Loaf of Baguette Bread

1 Head of Garlic

1/2 Cup of Butter

1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme; minced

1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary; minced

1 Tbsp Fresh Sage; minced

Butchers Twine

Preheat your oven to 425F.

Allow the butter to come to room temperature, if it is not already just zap it quickly in the microwave but carefully so that it doesn’t melt.

Mince 3 garlic cloves and add them to the butter.

Mince your rosemary, sage, and thyme then add them to the butter as well.

Remove the giblets from the cavity then rinse inside and outside of the chicken under cool water then pat your chicken dry.

Truss it up nice and well with butchers twine, then set aside.

Tear up your baguette bread and scatter about the baking pan then add the remaining head of garlic. (Don’t worry about peeling the cloves, they will practically fall out of their shells when they have been roasted)

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the torn up bread and garlic cloves, then set the chicken in the center of the pan on top of the bread.

Slather the chicken with the butter mixture evenly and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.

Roast for 1 1/2 hours or until the juices run clear and the internal breast temperature reads 180 degrees.

Allow chicken to rest about 10 minutes before carving so that the juices settle.

Scatter thyme sprigs about the pan and roast at 425F for 35-40 minutes or until tender stirring halfway through roasting.

I hope you all enjoy, and I apologize for the lack of action shots… I was not planning on posting the recipe, but it was too good not to share! Also, if you are so inclined to drop a line, please let me know your favorite way to roast a chicken! I am constantly looking for new and exciting recipes and would love to hear from you all!

Honestly these are the most majestic chicken drummers I’ve ever made! It was just a pinch of this, handful of that, oh crap that’s awful… Let me add some of this ordeal… Then out comes this sex on a stick!

I am constantly on the hunt for new and savory recipes for chicken and it gets harder and harder to sift thru all the recipes out there! I want something that is going to be ooey, something that will be gooey, something that will incorporate all of my favorite herbs, something that will incorporate loads of garlic, yet something that is so savory that it is sure to knock my socks off!

Well, knock my socks it did! Not only did it knock my socks off, it had me begging for more! It was the perfect balance of sweet, savory, zesty, and had the most subtle hint of fresh thyme and rosemary! In other words…. my statement still stands… Sex on a stick…

Ingredients

8-10 Chicken Drumsticks

1/2 Cup Butter

1/2 Cup Dijon Mustard

1 Tbsp Chopped Thyme

1 Tbsp Chopped Rosemary

4-5 Garlic Cloves; minced

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Salt + Pepper

Preheat your oven to 425F then prep your thyme and rosemary by removing the stems.

Then mince the herbs nice and finely.

Smash and mince your garlic.

And would you look at that…. [magic]

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.

Add garlic and herbs then allow to simmer until fragrant (2-3 minutes) then remove from heat.

Whisk in brown sugar and Dijon mustard…

Then whisk in Worcestershire sauce and we are ready to get to business!

Reserve 3 Tbsp of the butter mixture for later…

Then pour the remaining butter over your drumsticks.

Get your hands dirty and give then a good rub down…

Arrange on a cooling rack over a baking sheet so that the heat is allowed to pass under the little drumsticks while in the oven. Trust me when I say this is the key to amazing roasted chicken pieces!

Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper then bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Using a pastry or BBQ brush (like my seasoned and rusty veteran of a brush) give them a good slather of your reserved butter mixture. Don’t be afraid to really glop it on there, it adds character (maybe).

Return your little drummers to the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until nice and golden in color and the internal temp reaches 185F. Do not stop before!

Arrange your drumsticks on a platter and scatter with leftover thyme or rosemary sprigs for a nice touch. We do what we want, even if its just you and your dog it adds to the experience!